I finally watched this on DVD Saturday night, and I was pretty solidly disappointed. I mean ... why make a dragon movie when the dragon actually does so little in it? The last 20 minutes went a long way toward redeeming itself, but the first 1 hr and 15 minutes really were far more TV movie quality than a part of the silver screen.
You are being far too kind. The movie was an utter dog. A confused, pedantic mess. An obvious attempt to start a series, without a compelling start myth. LoTR lite.
My 9 year old liked it well enough, but honestly, she isn't terribly critical.
--------------- I wonder if you're mythologizing me, like I do you
Posts: 1428 | Location: State of Disarray | Registered: 10 January 2007
I think you're being far too harsh. There's nothing wrong with a film geared toward 9 year olds. The Walt Disney company has made an entire industry out of it.
My point was, for a dragon movie, there sure wasn't much dragon in it. The last 20 minutes were respectable eye candy -- good pacing, pretty solid effects -- but the rest of the movie was beyond slow and seemed to be shot by a completely different director.
I definitely don't think there's anything wrong with films geared to children. However, I think that Eragon insulted the intelligence of all ages. The movie, imo, was alternately dull and overblown, with dialogue that wouldn't have been out of place at your local Renaissance Faire.
It's possible that LoTR and the Harry Potters have spoiled us with the potential for fantasy film making. But even a relatively minor film like Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe had more heart, and compelling character interactions and development.
I realize that the source book was written by a teenager, but did the movie really have to sound like it?
--------------- I wonder if you're mythologizing me, like I do you
Posts: 1428 | Location: State of Disarray | Registered: 10 January 2007
Originally posted by kendocubano: I definitely don't think there's anything wrong with films geared to children. However, I think that Eragon insulted the intelligence of all ages. The movie, imo, was alternately dull and overblown, with dialogue that wouldn't have been out of place at your local Renaissance Faire.
Ok. Yes, on that I'd agree. That's what I meant when I said it had a TV movie quality to it.
quote:
It's possible that LoTR and the Harry Potters have spoiled us with the potential for fantasy film making. But even a relatively minor film like Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe had more heart, and compelling character interactions and development.
That's one of the arguments I've had with a few movie buff friends of mine -- that, in raising the bar on fantasy like the LOTR films have (I'm not a fan of the POTTER stuff, but I'd agree with you) -- that it's going to be increasingly difficult in the years ahead to not see even a solid picture as an influenced 'knockoff.'
